Bringing smiles to Belize

Dr. Frank Schmid, doctor with Edmondson, Rouse and Schmid of Saranac, completed a trip to Belize with the Army Reserves in April. This trip was one of three he completed in the past year; in June 2012, he went to Barbados and in September 2012 he was in Malaysia.

Dr. Frank Schmid, doctor with Edmondson, Rouse and Schmid of Saranac, completed a trip to Belize with the Army Reserves in April. This trip was one of three he completed in the past year; in June 2012, he went to Barbados and in September 2012 he was in Malaysia.

Schmid has been a member of the Army Reserves for 10 years. During that time, he has been to Iraq once and Afghanistan twice. While in Belize, Schmid was one of 45 in the medical unit. This group consisted of eight doctors, two dentists, one pharmacist, one optometrist and many nurses and other medical professionals.

Many of the people Schmid worked with while in Belize were raised in other countries, including Guam, Guatemala and Vietnam.

"The reason I like to do this is because I get a chance to interact with people from a younger age group. I also get to experience, through conversation, other cultures in the Army. Many of the people in the training were raised in different countries," said Schmid.

The 11-day training exercise began on April 15 and served the people of Belize at three locations in the northern part of the country. These locations were the San Felipe School, Guinea Grass School and the San Pablo School.

This trip is one of many training exercises that will be performed this year from April through June. U.S. military personnel will also be in El Salvador and Panama to conduct these exercises and bring medical assistance to those in need as part of the Beyond the Horizon exercises through the U.S. Air Force.

The type of training conducted through on-site exercises such as this are not very easily performed in the United States, thus, the group travels abroad. The ability to work with local populations, multiple agencies and host nation governments in order to address the needs of local people provides realistic training for Army members.

New Horizons is a series of combined and joint humanitarian exercises that the U.S. Southern Command has conducted annually since the mid-1980s in the Caribbean and in Latin America. Humanitarian service is provided for both medical services and construction/civic action.

Schmid worked as part of the U.S. military health care professionals who conducted Medical Readiness Training Exercises (MEDRETEs) in Belize. The services provided by this group included public health and preventive medicine, dental care, medical education, immunizations, nutritional counseling and adult and pediatric medicine. While in Belize, this group worked with 5,596 individuals.

Schmid is able to commit to this type of service because of the support he is given through his partners.

"I am able to do this because my partners at the office fill in for me and support me while I am gone," said Schmid.